Free Norton, Andre - Chapbook 04 by Serpent's Tooth (v1.0) Page A

force of man's desire for a road.   Curiosity awakened in Rentam .   At the third stop he pretended to adjust the
webbing which held his water gourd and packet of journey food, while, with his
left hand, he stabbed one of his long and narrow fingers into the sand and
gravel, far enough to scrape against the webbing of flesh which united all six
fingers into a more solid fist.   Underneath there was indeed a solid obstruction.   Two of his middle fingers met a solid surface
with bruising force.
     
    Now
he pulled his sun-resisting cloak higher on his shoulders and, through narrowed
eyes, surveyed the country.   Here stood a
third hill, a mount of stone, partly seen there some summer dried shrubs... Yes! Rentam's breath puffed against the edge of his cloak
as straightaway he fought a sharp stab of emotion which he must not allow any
of those about him to see.
     
    Even
the guides knew very little of this dreary world ... save of the paths to which
one or two bolder explorers might add a few new lengths several times in a
lifetime.   He knew that hill right enough
... it marked the furthermost of his own rovings in
this direction.   Now, as
    he
sighted it, he believed that this curious sand covered cut ran directly towards
that, as if the hill was indeed a marker on an ancient road.
     
    It
could lead where?   Still aware of Modic he turned his head slowly, this time seemingly
concentrating on the shoulder strapping of his supply net.   He was somehow sure that he was right.   They had camped on a portion of a forgotten
road which ran straight ahead.
     
    Rentam's pointed tongue slid over his lower lip as if, like his very
distant cousin of the true lizard breed, he could pick up scent impressions
cast by man or animal.
     
    One
kept away from these roads.   Such could
be traced easily enough, but they led to the spirit places where the haze, such
as they had traveled through earlier, thickened to give shelter to things...
things which he had heard described, legends of all guide villages.   He slid his tongue out between his lips,
startled past prudence into a grunt.
     
    Could
the Seeker know of this?   Was he now
aware that such roads led to the death light?   A shadow fell across his face as he watched, Modic ,
wondering for a moment of real fear if the man had guessed at his own
discovery.
     
    The
Seeker dropped to the sand and crossed his legs, his hands playing with the
hilt of his sword, drawing the blade out an inch or two from the scabbard and
then thrusting it forcefully back again, as if he foresaw a need for its
use.   Rentam had regained full control... he could hear the snick of the blade, however his
narrow gaze was on Modic's face not the Seeker's
hands.   It was always the eyes into which
one must look, Rentam remembered clearly Sequine's warning.   For it is by the changes in a man's eyes one could read the coming of
violence.
     
    "So," Modic's voice was hardly above a whisper, certainly
it could not reach anyone farther away then Rentam ,
"you have found it.   Dig!"   His lazy tone sharpened into an order, he
motioned toward where the guide had been secretly delving.   Obeying, Rentam dug
both-handed now. Within a number of breaths, lightly drawn breaths (lest he
could take into him some danger of this place), he scooped out parched earth,
throwing it to one side.   He was right,
it required very little in the way of labor to lay bare a section of a road of
the waste devils.." the black surface of it un corroded by time and as
smooth as his own scratched and bleeding skin.
     
    Though Modic leaned more closely forward, Rentam perceived he did not lose sight of the guide for
more than half a breath at a time.
     
    "Right."   When the Seeker spoke it seemed more to
himself than to Rentam .
     
    "The
road to Lonscraft ... at last!"
     
    This
time Rentam's astonishment was rooted in fear.   He jerked back his hands from hand contact
with the damnable thing.   Fighting to
remain impassive,